Ok, let me start out by saying that I LOVE laser sights!
In fact, I own several of them and use them on pistols, carbines, even my .22’s and airsoft rifles.
I use them for night shooting with night vision… I’ve used them a lot with my boys since they were VERY young to introduce them to shooting… and my wife’s M&P Shield pistol.
Used correctly, lasers are a great tool – a real “turbo charger” for any defensive firearm.
But used incorrectly, they’ll slow you down and put you in even more danger due to any one of the tall tales I hear all the time floating around out there in the “defensive firearm” world.
In fact…
Misinformation, Half-Truths, And Outright LIES About Gun Lasers Can Put You In Even MORE Danger If You Believe Them, So…
Here Are 5 Of The Biggest “Tactical Gun Laser” Myths That Even “Experts” Can Fall For…
Awhile back, a guy asked me a couple of great questions on Facebook about lasers that highlighted a very common myth I hear…
So that seems like the best place for us to start, eh?
Laser Myth #1: A Laser Gives Away Your Position In A Gunfight
In short, this follower said that using a visible laser sight on a defensive pistol in a gunfight will get you killed because the enemy will know exactly where you are.
On TV & movies, this “appears” to be true, but the truth is uncovered when you shine the light of two alternative perspectives on it…
Science…
For all intents and purposes, lasers, even visible lasers, are invisible until they hit something that reflects light.
That could be an object, moisture, dust, smoke, etc.
Depending on the laser, there will be a little or a lot of light at the “muzzle” end of the laser, but there won’t be a beam of light going from your gun to where the muzzle is pointed unless there is something in the air that reflects the laser light.
In a war zone firefight with lots of dust, smoke, explosions, and dirty ammo that causes excessive smoke, that may possibly be a reality… but not likely at all in a self-defense situation.
And Tactics…
TV & movies show 2 things pretty consistently with lasers: There’s a visible beam that goes from the laser to the target AND the laser is always on.
If you need to keep your location unknown, it’s just as bad of a tactic to turn on your laser and keep it on as it is bad to turn on a flashlight in a low light situation and keep it on.
But think about the kind of typical self-defense situation that you’re likely to face…
Chances are that the attacker not only knows where you are, but he’s selected you as his intended prey.
He doesn’t need a laser to figure it out.
Laser Myth #2: “Lasers will help me shoot better in the dark.”
Lasers won’t help you identify a target in a dark room…you still need light for that.
Once you can see your target, lasers, night sights, and red dot sights will all help you aim better than factory sights that aren’t visible in low light.
In fact, lasers can actually have advantages over flashlights, night sights, and red dots…
A flashlight’s reflection off of your sights can “wash out” your target to where you can’t see where you’re shooting.
On red dots, your ability to see through them in low light is going to depend A LOT on the quality and cleanliness of the glass.
And a common problem with both pistol-mounted red dots and night sights is not being able to find your dot when you bring it up in front of your face.
In these 3 respects, lasers are more forgiving.
Laser Myth #3: “If I have a laser, I won’t need to shoot…all I have to do is put the laser on the bad guy’s chest and he’ll stop.”
This may be true (emphasis on the “may”!) with some low-level attackers, but not for determined attackers who are drugged, drunk, or deranged.
If you believe this myth, I suggest you buy a toy gun and duct tape a cheap laser pointer to it.
That way, when you hesitate to shoot an attacker, he’ll only end up with a toy and a laser pointer when he punches you in the face and takes it from your hands.
In other words, falling for this myth could get you killed in a real gunfight!
Laser Myth #4: “Lasers will make me a faster shooter.”
This is a tricky one…
Many shooters shoot slower with a laser because they’re shocked by how much it’s moving around.
In a high stress situation, a laser will probably cause you to shoot slower but have more hits… IF you’ve got good fundamentals and don’t jerk or mash the trigger.
In compromised positions (like I’ll address in a minute), lasers do make you a faster shooter, but that’s not what most people are thinking about when they make that claim.
Laser Myth #5: “I don’t need to practice. I can’t miss with a laser.”
Lasers won’t help you grip the gun correctly, present the gun correctly, naturally aim the gun so that you’re only verifying alignment with the laser/sights.
BUT sorry there Sparky… acquiring a grip that manages recoil effectively and pressing the trigger without jerking or mashing the trigger actually takes practice.
The Bottom Line Is That A Laser CAN Be A Real Turbo-Charger For Your Defensive Firearm Tactics And…
Here Are The Most Effective Ways To Use A Laser In A Real Gunfight…
It’s important to realize that lasers work better as a turbo charger to enhance good fundamentals than as a “crutch” to compensate for bad fundamentals…
But, they ARE a great tool to help shooters with good fundamentals compensate for “bad situations” like these…
When You’re Forced To Shoot With Your “Support Hand”…
If you’re a shooters who isn’t as well-trained with shooting one-handed with your support hand, a laser will help you aim better if you’re forced to do so because of an injury or your primary shooting hand is otherwise immobile.
Shooting Around Obstacles…
In situations where you can’t line up the sights between their dominant eye and the target because of an obstacle in your way, a laser can allow you to shoot your attacker without having to use your sights.
Of course you still have to “see” where you’re shooting… but you could even pop your head out of the side of a bookcase while your gun’s laser pops out of a totally different location behind cover!
When Your Eyes “Ain’t What The Used To Be”…
If your vision has diminished to the point where you can’t see as well in low light – or see your sights without the help of glasses or contacts – a laser will give you a powerful backup to be sure to get your rounds placed where you want them.
Just be sure to look for a really bright laser (look for a “Class 3R” laser sight if you can find one!).
All of these are great reasons to use lasers, but a successful outcome, regardless of the sighting method you use, depends on practicing the fundamentals enough that you can execute them under stress without thinking about them.
Of course, not all instruction is the same when it comes to how to TRAIN for – and actually USE your weapon in a real gunfight…
It’s ridiculously easy (and common) to put the laser on a target 10 feet away and mash the trigger so bad you completely miss…
The laser – on it’s own – won’t get the job done.
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2 Responses
I use to do laser alignment on aircraft fuselages . The other use for the laser is aim at the bad persons eyes. It will bounce around the cornea and blind the subject, maybe permanently.
I don’t do social media, thx anyway